Archaeological
Finds from the Baronies of Moyarta, Ibrickane and Clonderlaw

The Other Clare, Volume
29, 2005

By John Rattigan

IntroductionClare Museum
has in its possession a catalogue of archaeological artifacts from County Clare
compiled from the Irish Antiquities Division of the National
Museum of Ireland. This vast catalogue was compiled by Erin Gibbons, Jackie Mac Dermott and
Felim Gibbons in October 1999 and is presented in six volumes with the co-operation
and support of the National Museum of Ireland.

The purpose of this paper
is two-fold: firstly, to create public awareness of the catalogue as a
valuable source of information by highlighting the
finds from three defunct territorial divisions - the Baronies of Moyarta,
Ibrickane and Clonderlaw. There were up to 350 baronies in Ireland at one
time, and of these, eleven existed in Clare [1];
the secondary aim is to provide greater access to the data, and by extension
the artifacts, as
part of the
on-going development of a museum service for the county. [2]

Description of the CatalogueThe first two volumes of this six-volume catalogue consist of an alphabetical
listing of finds categorised under eighteen separate fields.

In Volume I there is
an alphabetical listing of objects by Townland. This field is followed
by additional information
under the headings of Parish;
Barony; Find; Registration Number; Description; Dimensions; Habitat; Irish
Antiquities File, OS 6” sheet number; OS 6” sheet co-ordinates;
Bog Find (if applicable); Excavation Find (if applicable) and Page reference
to Volumes III-VI.

The second volume repeats the information in Volume I, except objects are
listed by Find rather than by Townland.

Volume III contains the
inventory of archaeological finds from County Clare. It is laid out chronologically
from 1785-1999 and includes artifacts from
the county held in private possession and other objects from County Clare
held by the Irish Folklife, the Art and Industrial and Natural History Divisions
of the National Museum of Ireland. Also included is a catalogue of photographs
from County Clare and a list of archaeological excavations that have taken
place in the county.

The fourth, fifth and sixth volumes contain a photocopied record of the
card index of finds from County Clare from the Irish Antiquities Division
archive. Each contains a description and illustration of the object. [3]

Description of this ListThe
information recorded in the various fields listed here is based on information
provided in Volume I.
Included is the provenance (townland and parish) within
each barony, find (object type), description and dimensions (where given),
of the sixty or so finds from the baronies Moyarta, Ibrickane, and Clonderlaw.
Due to space restriction, data from Volume I listed under the headings of
Habitat, Irish Antiquities File, OS 6” sheet number, OS 6” co-ordinates,
Bog Find, Excavation and Page References are omitted. Otherwise, the information
provided here appears as given in the catalogue.

Underlined objects are
part of the long-term loan from the Irish Antiquities Division of the National
Museum of Ireland to Clare Museum. They are on public
display in The Riches of Clare permanent exhibition.[4]

Finally, it would appear
that most if not all of the objects recorded from these three baronies
were chance finds made through farming, turf cutting
or other everyday activities. Some of them were discovered before the establishment
of the National Museum and were collected by members of the Royal Irish Academy
or the Royal Dublin Society before finding their way into the collection
of Irish Antiquities that is now in the National Museum. As a result, the
exact circumstances surrounding the discovery of some of the artifacts and
their exact provenance is lost to us now[5].
None of the objects listed here were discovered through archaeological excavation.

Objects from the Barony of Moyarta, or MoyfertaThe former
land division that made up the barony of Moyarta occupied the most southwesterly
corner of County Clare. It was bounded to the west and
north west by the Atlantic Ocean; to the north by the barony of Ibrickane;
to the east by the barony of Clonderlaw; to the south by the Shannon estuary.
It measured just over 83,000 acres in area and contained the parishes of
Killyballyone, Kilfearagh, Kilrush, Moyarta and part of Kilmacduane. [6]

Thirty-seven objects are listed in Volume I for Moyarta. They are as follows:

Townland: Not givenParish: Not givenFind: Bronze TrumpetDescription: Middle portion of trumpet. Bronze, slightly curved. All four
objects (including three trumpets above) found together at a depth of 7 or
8 feet (under the surface of a bog in the Barony of “Moyarta” County
Clare in 1902 or 8.3 miles from Kilkee).Dimensions: Maximum Length: 24 ¾ inches

Townland: BallykettParish: Not givenFind: Bones, AnimalDescription: Bones may be animal\modern. Found 2.4 cm below surface.Dimensions: Not given

Townland: CarrigaholtParish: Not givenFind: Ingot, GoldDescription: From a portion of a plain bar of gold, with a bulbous hammered
end, apparently intended for the usual terminal enlargement of such an article.
Weighs 1 oz 17 dwt 6 gr.Dimensions: Length: 7.5 cm

Townland: KilkeeParish: Not givenFind: Tallies, so called x 5Description: Five so called tallies, sticks with notches cut in them used
by illiterate labourers in the district of Kilkee to keep an account of the
number of days wages due to them.Dimensions: 1. Length: 22 7/8 inches, 2. Length 21 ½ inch, 3. Length
20 5/8 inches, 4. Length 18 inches, 5. Length 15 5/8 inches

Townland: DrumellihyParish: KilmacduaneFind: Axehead, IronDescription: Iron axehead of the type used by woodsmen. It is heavily corroded
but its nature can be discerned clearly. It was made by bending a single
piece to form a pear shaped eye, the long sides of which were forced to project
as the blade.Dimensions: Length: 19.3 cm, Width at Cutting Edge: 10.2 cm, Width at eye:
6.1 cm, Internal axes of eye: 5.3 cm and 3.5 cm

Townland: KilrushParish: Not givenFind: Armlet, copper, penannularDescription: Copper penannular armlet, formerly plated
with gold. Original entry; “Beautiful example of copper ring. Found
by Mr Wakeman in an old wrap box at Kilrush County Clare and presented
to Mr Petrie”.Dimensions: Width 3 ½ inches

Townland: Loop HeadParish: Not givenFind: Timbers, ShipDescription: Ship timbers from a wreck off Loop HeadDimensions: Not given

Townland: Scattery IslandParish: KilrushFind: Bell-shrine, The Clogan OirDescription: The Bell Shrine in two parts, to be connected by a detachable
bronze pinDimensions: Not given

Townland: TeernagloghaneParish: KilmacduaneFind: Axehead, Bronze, SocketedDescription: Socketed bronze axehead with heavy green patination pitted over
much of the surface. The socket is almost circular. The rim is flat but in
3 places it still retains portions of metal from the pouring gate.Dimensions: Length: 9.9 cm, Width (cutting edge): 6.9 cm, Average Thickness
(walls of socket) 5.5 mm

Objects from the Barony of Ibrickane, or IbrickanThe barony of Ibrickane was bordered to the north by the barony of Corcomroe;
to the east by the baronies of Inchiquin, Islands and Clonderlaw; to the
south by the barony of Moyarta and on the west by the Atlantic Ocean. It
measured just over 57,000 acres in area and contained the parishes of Kilfarboy,
Killard, Kilmurry and part of the parish of Kilmacduane. [7]

The 14 objects listed in Volume I for Ibrickane are as follows:

Townland: Ballyvaskin SouthParish: KilfarboyFind: Cooking VesselDescription: Not givenDimensions: Not given

Townland: DooloughParish: KilmurryFind: Arrowhead, Flint (Hollow-based)Description: Arrowhead made of black flint. The hollow base is so deep that
two barb-like projections are formed. One is defective at its tip. The whole
surface on both faces has been worked with secondary flaking. The tip is
rounded. Cross-section a pointed oval.Dimensions: Length 3.3cm, Width across hollow at base 2.2 cm, Maximum Thickness
7 mm

Townland: DoonbegParish: Not givenFind: Quernstone, Upper and LowerDescription: Quern upper and lower stone mounted for use. This is a specimen
of the ordinary type of hand quern for use by one person.Dimensions: Top stone Diameter: 15 3/8 inches, Under stone: Diameter 16 and
1/8 inches

Townland: Doonbeg Sandhills, vicinity of DoonbegParish: Not givenFind: Point, bone, segmentedDescription: Segmented object made from a pointed bone of rounded cross-section.
Five segments remain (the largest is broken off and now separate), but probably
there were more. The segments increase in diameter from the bluntly pointed
end towards the broken endDimensions: Length: 3.4 cm Diameter of Largest segment: 1.3 cm

Townland: Miltown Malbay (near)Parish: Not GivenFind: Ring/Armlet, jetDescription: Jet ring. This ring should be in the Register and perhaps is,
but cannot be traced. A card is attached to it with the following inscription “Armlet
of Kimeridge slate, found in a turf bog near Miltown Malbay, Co Clare”Dimensions: External circumference: 13 ½ inches, Internal diameter:
3 ½ inches.

Objects from the Barony of Clonderlaw, or ClonderalawThe barony
of Clonderlaw was bounded to the north by the barony of Islands; the east
by
Estuary of the Fergus; to the south, by the estuary of the Shannon; and to
the west, by the
Baronies of Moyarta and Ibrickane. The barony occupied 98,500 acres and contained
the
parishes of Kilchrist (Kilchreest), Kildysart, Kilfiddane, Killimer, Killofin,
Kilmichael,
and Kilmurry. [8]

Townland: BurrenParish: KilchreestFind: Bell of Burren, BronzeDescription: 13th century Ecclesiastical Bell know as “The Bell of
the Burren”. It was used in religious ceremonies up to 1860.Dimensions: Not given

Townland: CahermurphyParish: Not givenFind: Mether, WoodenDescription: Very well preserved two-handled mether carved out of a single
piece of wood, except for the base which was a separate entity. How this
was fitted is not evident as there is no rebate for it – probably this
object is unfinished.Dimensions: Max Height: 26.8cm, Quadrangular Mouth: 17.2 cm x 15.5 cm

Townland: Canon IslandParish: KilladysertFind: Human BonesDescription: Not givenDimensions: Not given

Townland: Coolmeen (Mill)Parish: KilfiddaneFind: MillstoneDescription: Described as 102 cm in diameter and 24 cm thick. The central
perforation is 16.5 cm in diameter and is surrounded on one face by a groove
7.5cm deep and wide. The remainder of this face is grooved or “feathered”.Dimensions: Diameter: 102 cm; Thickness 24 cm

Townland: DerreenParish: KilmurryFind: Bucket, Wooden (decorated)Description: Not givenDimensions: Not given

Townland: DerreenParish: KilmurryFind: Dish, Bronze, with marigold patternDescription: Large circular round bottomed vessel made of a single piece
of bronze which was probably beaten out of a wooden mould and then finished
by spinning. The upper edge of the vessel is bent inwards to produce an almost
horizontal rim.Dimensions: Height: 16.8 cm, Estimated Diameter at Rim: 35.3 cm, Thickness
1mm

Townland: KildaysartParish: Not givenFind: Seal, impression, in red waxDescription: Seal. Impression in red wax. Circular. On
field, a gabled church with spire. Inscription: “+ SIGILLVM. CAPITVLI.IMELACENSIS”.
The matrix of the seal is already in the collection.Dimensions: Diameter: 1 5/8 inches

Townland: KnockmoreParish: KilmihilFind: Casket, WoodenDescription: Made up of 6 panels of wood which are held together by wooden
dowels, and strengthened by binding strips of bronze. In the centre of the
lid is a bronze handle and slightly off centre on the front panel is a bronze
lock – the clasp is missing.Dimensions: Length: 36 cm, Width: 9.5 cm, Overall Height: 9.5 cm, Average
Thickness (panels): 8 mm

Townland: KnockmoreParish: KilmihilFind: Shoe, LeatherDescription: Not givenDimensions: Not given

Townland: LackenParish: KilmihilFind: Quern-Stone, decoratedDescription: Not givenDimensions: Not given

Townland: Moy (bog find)Parish: KilfiddaneFind: Dress, Woman’s (17th Century)Description: Tunic of woollen textile, reddish brown, damaged incomplete.
The textile is fairly closely woven and separate pieces are stitched together
to form the garment. It has a wide round neck opening and is buttoned down
the centre front.Dimensions: L 1.15m

Townland: Moy (bog find)Parish: KilfiddaneFind: Spearhead, BronzeDescription: Excellently preserved bronze spearhead with short, shouldered
blade. The mid-rib is a continuation of the socket and angular. The cutting-edges
are bevelled. There are roughly triangular depressions on either side of
the mid-rib.Dimensions: Length: 10.9 cm, Length of blade 7.2 cm, Maximum Width (blade):
4.1 cm, Diameter (socket at base): 2 cm

The catalogue of County Clare Archives in the Irish Antiquities Division
of the National Museum of Ireland is an important local resource and is
unique to Clare Museum. It is available for viewing by appointment with
the curator.

1. There is disagreement
as to the number of baronies that once existed in the country. Connolly
(pp 41) states that there were 270; a genealogical
web site gives 311, while www.clarelibrary.ie states there were 350. In addition
to the three mentioned here, the other baronies in Clare were Corcomroe,
Burren, Inchiquin, Islands, Bunratty Upper, Bunratty Lower, Tulla Upper and
Tulla Lower.2. See also Sliabh Aughty Journal No 11, 2003 edition p44-463. Gibbons, E., Mc Dermott, J., Gibbons, F., County Clare Archives in
the Irish Antiquities Division of the National Museum of Ireland. (1999, unpublished
catalogue) pp. iv4. See The National
Museum of Ireland, Irish Antiquities Division Collection for a full
list of objects on loan to Clare Museum from the Irish Antiquities Division
of
the National Museum of Ireland.5. See Wallace, P. F., and O’Floinn, R (eds) Treasures of the National
Museum of Ireland – Irish Antiquities (2002, Gill & Macmillan)
Dublin, P1-45 for a detailed history of the origins of the Irish Antiquities
collection of the National Museum of Ireland.6. See Barony of Moyarta7. See Barony of Ibrickane8. See Barony of Clonderlaw